Jerusalem legislator to be deported to the West Bank

By Saed Bannoura – IMEMC & Agencies

The Jerusalem District Court has decided to deport a Jerusalem legislator affiliated with the Hamas movement. Mohammad Abu Tir, who is in Israeli detention, will be deported to the West Bank. The ruling has to be carried out with immediate effect, the court ruled. Mr. Abu Tir is a resident of Jerusalem and was abducted by the Israeli Army more than five months ago under the pretext of “living illegally” in his home city.

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At that time, Israel issued deportation orders against Mr. Abu Tir along with his fellow elected legislators Ahmad Attoun, Mohammad Totah, and former Jerusalem Minister Khalid Abu Arafa. As well as the charge of “living illegally” in Jerusalem, the four were accused of being “disloyal to Israel”. While Mr. Abu Tir was captured by the Israeli army, the others were able to take refuge in the grounds of the International Red Cross building in Jerusalem, where they have stayed to this day in a “protest tent”; they have now been there for 161 days.

Legislator Ahmad Attoun condemned the deportation of his colleague Mohammad Abu Tir. This is, he claimed, proof that the supposedly independent Israeli judicial system is controlled by Israel’s security forces.